Soul Searching
by hittheswitch
Summary: Leaving that godforsaken town was the right choice for her. She was relieved to find herself in the comfort of a new town to explore and discover, that is until, she realizes the so-called 'dreamland' isn't all it's cracked up to be. All she wanted was to do a little soul searching, but that didn't turn out as planned.
1. Welcome

an. Well hello. Long time no see? Just testing the waters with this little idea and we'll see how it goes, capishe? Here goes nothing

* * *

**soul searching**

_one - welcome_

A relieving sigh slips pasts the lips of the weary Eve Torres as she drops one last cardboard box onto the wooden floor. Scattered around were various sizes of boxes containing her belongings that she shipped half an hour away to Marin Sea Valley to discover what ever the hell she finds in this beautiful piece of underrated dreamland that her friend recommended for her.

She was just overjoyed that she escaped the godforsaken town she had resided in for so many years, succumbing to a horrible job that let her sweep by with enough money for survival but nothing for enjoyment or connecting with herself.

"Well, well, looks like you didn't need me after all." Eve's redheaded friend states as she waltzes through the open front door, "Who knew you had so much strength?"

"If it wasn't for the nice man downstairs, I would've had to let the storage truck take off with some of my things. Someone must have been too busy to keep her promise and help me unload my stuff." She groans, "You were always a leaver, Kanellis."

"I'll have you know I was planning a little get together for my friend who finally decided after years of ass kissing and miserable living, to come down here and join where the beautiful place of Marin Sea has to offer you. You don't have to thank me, but you should." Maria retorts, planting a seat on one of the larger boxes.

Eve rolls her green eyes, "Yeah, yeah. You make it sound like a pandemonium moment that I finally agreed to live down here. You've only been living here for about six months."

"And those six months have brought me more joy than Greenwood ever offered me, but better late than never. You're here to find your place in life."

"A little bit of soul searching, I suppose." Eve grins throwing herself over one of the long boxes, taking a breather for her five-hour unloading day.

"Well, I suggest you get up and get going. The party starts at eight and I hope you don't intend making your first impression with those faded jeans and that horrible t-shirt. You still support the Broncos? Talk about lame."

"Because fashion is the way to go with you. I forgot you are some wannabe fashion designing hotshot. Trust me, I have some nice things. Now are you going to stick around and help me unpack a few things?"

"I could, but this outfit isn't made for unloading any type of material." She smiles motioning her eyes up and down to her bright red dress that compliments her dark red hair splendidly. "But I would put that on hold because the party is in half an hour."

"Right, right. You keep telling me as if I've forgotten. You wouldn't let me."

"Because I'm good at keeping you caught up. Hurry up, people want to meet you." She orders, grabbing her tote and aiming for the open door. "Remember it's the Marin Grill & Bar. Don't be late."

"I know!"

As the door slowly shuts behind Maria, the brunette takes a moment to run her hand through her disheveled hair. As drained as she was from the day's activities, a rush of excitement swept through her veins as she finally decided to move from the town of Greenwood.

She had been living there since her freshman year of high school with her father's sullen job transfer. There she had met her wonderful best friend, Maria Kanellis, who became the sister she never had. She actually didn't mind the small town and found herself fitting in very well, joining the soccer team with the redhead and carrying a bond that could stand the test of time.

It wasn't until college that her parents announced their divorce and left Eve behind to fend for herself just two months shy of being a legalized adult. It was scary, but being taking under the wing by her redheaded fashionista friend, she was able to accomplish a lot more than she thought she could independently.

It was just she couldn't find the opportunities she wanted to be presented with in Greenwood. It was such an inattentive place that left her settling down for the small things it had to offer. She found a job being a secretary of the only law firm located in that blasé town. She was dismayed, to say the least.

Not very long after, Maria disclosed that she was leaving the small populated town for an adventure. She urged the brunette to accompany her on a new place to live, but she found it better off playing it safe and not spending what little income she had trying to quote the redhead, "viva la vida".

It was only half a year later that Eve found herself distraught in her life and needed change and with her friend's incessant advisement to live her life and figure out what she could accomplish somewhere else, she decided to join her in what the redhead talked about as the dreamland, finding all your wishes and wealth here. She didn't believe her over exaggerated description, but that's the only offer she had so she had to take it.

Opening up one of the boxes, she found herself reminiscing through some of her photos she never cared to take out of the frame. The first one was of her and her now ex-boyfriend, Jack. She really missed him.

He was her first love, meeting him in her junior year of high school, with his golden blonde locks and his charming smile. He meant a lot to her and of course with Maria's point, she forced her to talk to him, which ended up doing her some justice because he asked her out for some ice cream.

He was sweet and gentle and treated her exceptionally, but even her loving relationship wasn't meeting the standards of how she should live her life. He took recognition too and even encouraged her to relocate to the happy city where she could discover what she was made to do. He mainly did so because his big shot job in a major networking company had him relocating to Philly, which was across the country. Clearly things couldn't work out for perfectly.

Sighing to herself, she places the photo on the coffee table in her living area and rises up, glancing at her phone to realize she has approximately twenty minutes to find something nice and rocket down to the bar and grill to meet her overly enthusiastic friend and others in a welcoming gathering. She knew that was going to be an event.

* * *

"You're a couple minutes late, but good thing no one was timing you." Maria greets Eve with a flashing smile and a hug, "Well, except for me."

"I'm here aren't I? That should count for something." She returns the smile and glances behind the redhead to see tons of people awaiting her arrival. No pressure. "That's a lot more people than you said."

"Actually, not all of them are here to see you. It's actually Steak and Shake Saturday at half price, so some of these are just cheap, happy customers."

"Who is this foxy lady?" A voice approaches the two ladies, with a spiky hairdo to top the not so flattering compliment, "I hope you're single."

"She is, but not for you Zack." Maria smiles politely and moves him out of the way, "She's here."

There were girls smiling widely while another is off to the side, not really minding the brunette's presence. There were a few guys taking approving glances at her and some who were just as polite and waiting to be introduced.

"Everyone this is Eve Torres. My best friend since high school and the newest addition to Marin Sea. Eve, this is Tiffany, Mickie, Ashley, Kelly, Christian, Cody, Zack, Mike, Dolph, and John."

Eve shyly smiles as everyone looks at her with curious but intrigued expressions. Maria motions her a seat next to Tiffany and tells the bartender to whip something up for the newbie in town.

"So, Maria tells us a lot about you." Kelly speaks up, "She was so eager for you to come to Marin Sea."

"Well, I'm here. She talks positively about this place and says it's a dreamland."

"Yeah, a total dreamland." One of the guys sarcastically comments which receives an elbow from the blonde with brown and pink streaks, which happened to be Ashley.

"You will love it here, once you adjust to the way the lifestyle is and how things run around here you will get comfortable." Mickie informs, taking a swig of her drink as she says so.

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Eve smiles as she sips her alcoholic drink.

"So tomorrow we're going to have an extremely busy day." Maria clasps her hands together, "We have to get you introduced to a lot of things."

"I just got here, Maria. I think we should take a chill pill and let me unpack my bed sheets first." Eve retorts.

"Chill pill? You know me better than that. I don't chill. I explore and make adventure, and you're going to do the same. I'm sure John and Cody won't mind helping you unpack tomorrow, right?"

The two blue eyed boys look at the redhead with perplexity but after she gives them a warning look they quickly shake their heads in agreement, "We wouldn't mind helping the new girl out."

"Goodie. This is place is full of different things, so I need you to go home and get some shut eye. We need to start the day bright and early."

"What? I just got here ten minutes ago." Eve exclaims disappointingly.

"Knowing you, when you get back to your apartment you're going to spend hours unpacking everything yourself because you don't want other people touching your stuff. It's the OCD thing I mentioned." She says to everyone else before turning back to the brunette, "And you're going to call Jack and spend an hour or two talking about how much you miss him and how much you wanted your relationship to work long distance but it couldn't and then you may or may not have phone sex."

"I thought you said she was single." Zack speaks up.

"I did and she is, but again, still not for you." Maria glares at him, "So I suggest you ta ta for now and put those beautiful green eyes to rest, alright?"

She wants to argue with the redhead, but not knowing anyone at the place doesn't really give her much of a fighting chance. She just sighs, grabbing her bag and saying her goodbyes to the new faces she'll now have to try and remember in the upcoming days. She knows she'll get the hang of it, she was the new girl once before.

"Well, that was a short and sweet meeting." Ashley comments, "With the way you baby her, it sounds like you're her mother."  
"I kind of am, for now." Maria glances at the blonde and the others momentarily. "She is naïve about this place, the people, and the precautions. She won't need me holding her hand for long, but just like you guys at one point, and just like me, she will discover everything about this place."

"I hope she's ready for it." Christian responds, swigging around his full glass, "It's going to be rough."

"Trust me, she's a big girl." The redhead assures, "Mike, would you mind getting me a drink? I know it's five shot Saturday too, which means if I buy five shots, the rest are free."

"Sure." He replies, giving her a warming smile as he goes to the bartender to fetch her an order.

Eve pushes past the swinging doors in perplexity. She is so curious of why the redhead is so mothering of her, like she isn't aware of how to feed herself or get herself home. She is a grown woman. Sure she may be unfamiliar to the place, but it wasn't as if she couldn't manage. She wasn't in need of a babysitter. The more she thought about it, the more the wonderment piqued in her brain as she dug through her small bag to grab her car keys. In the process of doing so, she finds herself running into one of the walls of the building. Or at least she thought it was a wall.

Taking a few steps backwards, she peers her eyes upward to a face covered in golden blonde locks. She couldn't quite make out any facial features but scanning the rest of the body, she could see tattoos spread across their muscular arms. She realizes she's staring and as they remove their long hair from their eyes, she looks into the blue eyes of puzzlement that matches hers.

"Excuse me." The deep voice manages to say before brushing past her without giving her a second glance.

With that split second to trace his face, she could tell that he wasn't bad on the eyes, but he seemed anything but interested in making conversation with her so she just shrugged it off and escorts herself to her vehicle to actually do the activities Maria had predicted she would do when she got back to her apartment. Maria knew her too well. 

* * *

➳ stay tuned for chapter 2 x nikki


	2. Back In The Game

an. thank you guys for the reviews. It means a lot. This chapter is definitely going to take the story for a turn, but it might give you a better idea of what's going on. Enjoy.

* * *

**soul searching**

_two - back in the game_

"Of course, you're still asleep."

The words of annoyance causes Eve to open her eyes up immediately, springing up to spot the redhead, with a frown on her thin lips, looking directly at her with squinted eyes. "How did you get in here?"

"Oh please, you think I didn't know where you would hide your spare key?" Maria snorts, clearly underestimating the brunettes hiding places, "You need a better place than under the mat. You're going to get robbed."

"The only thing I'm getting robbed of is my sleep." She wipes her eyes, "Why are you here?"

"Do you not remember? I told you there were many things we have to do today. We have to adjust you to the place and it's better now than later."

Eve removes the bed sheets from her body and slowly rises up to meet the height of her redheaded friend, clearly unamused by her slow place.

"Did you honestly think I wanted to spend my second day sightseeing? Not that it isn't a beautiful place, but I have other things to do."

"A little tired with your phone sex with Jack?" The redhead guesses.

"No, we didn't – can you just get out?" Eve rebuts.

"Are you going to get dressed and come with me?"

"Can I eat breakfast first?" Eve groans, waltzing to the door, "Don't be looking through my closet and picking something out for me. I don't need a stylist."

"Well, you need some magazines because the trend your wearing is old news, sweetie." Maria replies, glancing around at the scattered clothing, "By the way, Cody and John are in the living room so I wouldn't suggest walking out in your underwear."

Eve looks down to take a glance and realizes she feel alseep without her pants on. It was mainly because her air conditioning cut off during the night and she was too tired to turn it back on so she settled for slipping off her bottoms.

"Can you leave so I can change? I guess we can grab something on the way."

Maria claps her hands blissfully, "That's the spirit. Don't take too long now because I don't have the patience and it's not like you have a lot of good options to choose from."

"Get out!"

As the redhead scurries out of the bedroom, Eve rolls her eyes and falls back onto her bed in frustration.

"Is she up and moving?" Cody questions the arriving redhead.

"Yeah, while we're gone don't forget to add a camera to the corner of the front door. We need to get every possible angle." Maria responds, sauntering to the fridge to retrieve a water bottle.

"Are you going to keep beating around the bush?" John inquires, "Because I think telling her last night would've made a huge difference."

"Yeah, she would've said no and would ride her ass back to Greenwood being a miserable secretary for ten thousand years. I'm doing her a favor."

"Not everyone sees this the way you do, Maria." Cody offers up, "This is something that you can't just force someone to do."

"I'm not forcing her to anything. I'm going to advise her to do it. Plus, with all the perks and the location, how is she going to say no?"

"The same way you did."

Maria shakes her head, "And yet here I am living it up and she will too. It's just a matter of time."

The redhead nods once more for their acceptance which they slowly nod in return. They didn't think the way Maria was approaching the situation was beneficial to anyone, but she was in charge and they had to follow orders because that was their job. Who knows, she could prove both of them wrong and everything could work out fine? It was just a matter of time.

"Okay, I'm ready." Eve says, coming out with skinny jeans and a blouse, her long brown locks pulled back in a bun.

"Well, it's decent." Maria half smiles, "Good thing I put shopping as one of our things to explore today."

"Oh great." Eve sarcastically replies.

"So John and Cody are going to stay here and do the heavy-lifting, like the television setting up and the sofa, so don't worry."

"I don't feel right about two people unpacking my things for me." The brunette begins, "Why should they waste their day doing something that I'm suppose to be doing? It's a nice gesture but -"

"It's fine, Eve." John smiles at her, "We offered because you're Maria's best friend. You should spend the day enjoying Marin Sea and catching up. Trust us, we had nothing better to do. We usually just hang out with Christian during his shift at the bar and grill."

"Yeah, no worries. If you feel that guilty, you could always pay us." Cody slyly smiles.

"Come on, now we have a lot to do." Maria insists, tugging at Eve's arm and shoots the two blue eyed men one last look, "No breaking things."

"You got it."

Maria sends them a wave before she and Eve scurry out the door into the Marin Sea heat. Cody and John wait until they hear Maria's pumps clicking down the steps until they grab the bag from behind the kitchen counter containing all their equipment.

* * *

Christian smiles politely as one of the customers hands him his tip and moves on. He wipes the bar and glances at the clock, wishing that John and Cody didn't have a task to complete because the time went slower without his two mates to accompany him on his second job.

The bell at the top of the door went off, causing Christian to look up and meet the eyes of someone familiar. The long blonde locks and tatted up arms were enough to cause a scowl on his face and his eyes to roll.

"That's no way to greet your brother." The guy says as he walks up to the bar, "What happened to the smile and the free shots at ten in the morning?"

"That was all before you messed things up, Adam." Christian scoffs, "And we're step brothers. Don't try to fabricate our relationship."

"Wow, that's harsh, buddy." Adam shakes his head, taking a seat on one of the stools in front of the bar, "Where's your girlfriend?"

"Tiffany is not my girlfriend."

"Really? Because she's always looking at you with that special twinkle in her eye. You both work together, here and at your little 'secret squad'."

"Yeah and you did too." Christian reminds, "Before you turned your back on us and almost got us killed."

"You're still on that?"

"Yes, because we were this close to getting caught and this close to dying, Adam. How can you be so insensitive to that? We had a pact and you broke it. So, don't come in here with this brother shit because you threw it out the minute you turned on us."

"I didn't turn on you, Christian." Adam says lowly through gritted teeth, "I was undercover, which you guys told me to do."

"And then you lied and people were killed. You were just lucky it wasn't any of us." Christian shakes his head furiously, "You weren't suppose to go that far."

"I did it to protect us, Christian. None of you understood that. You believed that Angus guy over me and that hurt more than anything. The only reason I walked out and stayed out was because you wouldn't give me a chance to explain myself."

"If you were so innocent then why did you start hanging out with ex-cons like Brooks and Orton, huh?"

"Because I felt like that's all I was good for. All I am good for." The other blonde divulges, sweeping back his long hair in frustration, "I want to start over."

"A little too late for that."

"Really? Because I heard that Paul is coming back. He wants what he came here for and he doesn't mind bringing a little blood into this."

Christian's eyes scrunch in bewilderment, "What? How could you possibly know that?"

"Because Orton still does little side jobs for him. He told him that he's making his way back to get what he originally came here for before you guys killed Batista and Michaels."

"We didn't plan on killing them." Christian admits, "That was until you lied."

"I lied to protect you." Adam reveals, "I'm trying to protect you now. They also asked me if I wanted to join? They thought it would bring you down if one of their own came in and helped take you down."

"What did you say?"

"I said I would think about it, but I'm not going to. I just didn't want them thinking I had any connections with you."

Christian sighs, seeing the look in his brother's eyes definitely gave him a tingle of remorse for being so cold with him. Adam was good at lying, so his mind still wonders if he is even a trustworthy person like he use to think.

"Why did you come and tell me this? You know you're risking yourself if you still hang out with those ass clowns."

"I did it because I still care. I want back in the game."

"You're going to have a hell of time with that." Christian honestly states, "Vince made Maria in charge after that whole incident, so it's not up to me to prove that you're loyal."

"Maria? She was a newbie then."

"I know, but she's taken down so many guys since then. No one has died under her leadership."

"Okay, okay." Adam defends, "I get it. Maria didn't trust me either. How am I going to be able to prove it to her? Where is she?"

"She's working on a new recruit."

"A new recruit? Why?"

"We need bate. With everyone else stepping up in positions, we need someone new. Someone from a whole other ballpark. She's not even from here. She's one of Maria's old friends."

"Oh," Adam arches his eyebrows, "Is she hot?"

"Too hot for you. Plus, Maria probably wouldn't even let you ten feet near her."

"Well, I'm going to have to in order to get Maria's trust back to get back on the team."

Christian looks at him with perplexity, "And how do you plan on doing that?"

* * *

Eve's arms were exhausted from all the weight depended on them. It was close to sunset and Maria didn't have any intentions from halting at this point.

"Keep up, slow poke." Maria calls from behind her, "We still have lots to do."

"Okay." Eve stops entirely, setting all the grounds on the ground. "Thanks for all the tips and over the top wardrobe, but I don't need this."

"Of course you do I - "

"No, I don't. When I agreed to come down here, it was for me to discover what I wanted to do. Not you. We're not the same, in any shape or form. I thought you just wanted to catch up like old times. Not nurture me around like a lost puppy."

Maria looks at the disappointment in her eyes, unsure of how to address the situation. Sure, things have changed tremendously in the past six months for the both of them. Eve got worse in misery while Maria found things in a whole other perspective. It was going to be hard for her to explain for the newly arriving brunette, but she hoped with the trust and their long lasting friendship, this would be easier than she ever thought.

"I know you're not. I'm sorry I'm being a little over controlling. There's just so much I want you to see."

"I get that, I do. It's just your control issues have skyrocketed in the past few months."

"Well, that's what happens when you're a leader."

Eve arches her eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"There's a lot I got to tell you. I just don't want to do it here."

"Oh my god, you're a school teacher, aren't you?" Eve gasps in horror.

"No. Why would that be so bad?"

Eve motions to all the items on the ground, "I think the better question would be why wouldn't that be so bad."

Maria chuckles, "You might want to pick those up or they're going to get wrinkled."

Eve glares, sending a signal that she needed some help. The redhead got the memo and began helping her with bags. As the two began sauntering off towards their vehicle, Maria's eyes widen at the sight she was taking.

The face was all too familiar and it was looking right back at her. He was wearing a dark gray suit and his hair was buzzed, making him less tough and more businessman like. His solemn expression turned into a smirk once he reached from behind him and pulled out a shiny, black gun.

"Eve, run!"

Eve turns around, sending her a confused expression. "I can only go so fast with all this weight."

"Run!"

That's the only word she can scream before a bullet comes in contact with their vehicle, causing a squeal from Eve to drop all the materials and duck behind the car. Maria places the bags in front of her as she grabs the keys from Eve and unlocks the car, more bullets coming closer and closer to them by the second.

Eve scurries to the driver's seat, her breath heavy and her forehead beaded with sweat. She fumbles for the keys in the ignition as she checks in the rear view mirror to see a black SUV coming closer.

"Drive!" Maria orders as the brunette takes no hesitation to reverse the car and speed off in a jiff, the black SUV in tow.

"What the hell is going on?" Eve squeals in fright, checking the mirror every two seconds to see the SUV coming closer, "Why are those guys shooting at us? Why?"

"I can't explain it to you right now, I just need you to shut up and drive. Don't go to your apartment, we have to lead them off."

Eve breathlessly replies, "No, what is going on?"

Before Maria can reply, another bullet comes in contact with their vehicle, cracking the back window, causing Eve to scream even louder, her fingers turning white as she grips the steering wheel tighter and presses harder on the gas pedal.

Maria grabs her phone and quickly dials a number leaving a worried, oblivious Eve to drive crazily to get the guys of their tale. "John, you and Cody head to the headquarters now. Paul is back and he spotted me out, he's on our tails now and I'm unarmed. I'm going to shake him off and get Eve back. Call the others and let them know."

As Maria ends the phone conversation, Eve looks at her with the most horrified look ever, "You know this guy? Why is he fucking chasing us, Maria? What have you been doing the last six months here?"

"I don't have time to explain things, just move." Maria orders as she grabs the steering wheel from the frightened brunette and takes a sharp right, causing Eve to scream and everything becomes a blur to her then.

* * *

➳ what's a story without a cliffhanger, huh? don't worry, you'll find out what happens in the next chapter x n


	3. Made For This

an. Thanks again for all the reviews! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**soul searching**

_three - made for this_

Eve's eyes flutter open to the surroundings of her apartment. Slightly dazed, she sits up hurriedly, spying a familiar redhead seated at her kitchen counter, an armed weapon displayed on the counter, as her green eyes are focused on her. Her expression lifts when she sees the brunette conscious again and she takes a motion to come closer but Eve stops her hastily.

"I want answers," Eve speaks boldly, "And if you can't give me those, then you need to leave right now."

"Okay." Maria pauses, taking a seat on the coffee table in front of the couch Eve was laying on, "What do you want answers to? Where I got this all-black outfit? If I have to have a license to carry armed weaponry?"

Eve frowns, "This is serious! I almost died."

"Let's not get carried away." Maria interjects, "I am a trained professional. I had those guys lost in half a second. You just happened to pass out before you could witness my magic."

"Stop, Maria." Eve warns, "You think you can just lure me out here to put me in harm's way? If you think I plan on staying here after all of this-"

"You can't leave."

"Then tell me what the hell is going on! I am not going to be left in the dark and in constant fear for my life."

Maria sighs, rising up and grabbing her armed weapon from the counter. Eve hesitates, thinking that the redhead might actually use it in her home. She sits back a little as her friend places the gun in her back holster, rubbing her hands together.

"When I came to Marin Sea, there was a lot about this place that I didn't know." Maria explains, "This place was literally magical. The beaches, the weather, the endless amount of shopping you can do here. I came here to begin my fashion career. It was one day, I was getting interview for one of the fashion labels downtown and I met Vince.

"I was on my way there when I heard someone shooting and before I knew it, I was blindfolded and stuck in the back of someone's trunk. I thought I was going to die. When I got my sight back, there was a man who told me that I would be a perfect recruit."

"Recruit for what?" Eve requires, sitting forward in curiosity.

"For Vince. He is an ex-con, and has worked in a lot of shady things. He was a bad man and he was on the run from his past mistakes and he found Marin Sea, a small populated area where no one could find him. He set up a task force to keep himself safe while he was trying to clean up his mess. Unfortunately for him, some of his men turned on him because they thought that they would be better off turning him into some of his finders and make serious profit. They set up their own task force and they've been trying to hunt down Vince since then."  
"Why didn't Vince just leave Marin Sea? Find another small place to go into hiding?"

"He's got enemies at every corner. Despite his guys turning on him, they haven't been able to find him. Well, that's because of us." Maria smirks fondly. "He still had his faith in a few of his other employees and they've all been recruited from different areas of expertise. Instead of just big bodyguard men to pound a few faces if they get suspicious, we can log in to all parts of Marin Sea and make sure nothing bad is going on here."

"Is that all you do? Protect a criminal from getting justice served to him?" Eve scoffs.

"He's not a criminal, he's given us a job, a home...a family, Eve. You may not understand it now, but that's what it is. We keep this place protected, making sure that none of Vince's old buddies set up illegal businesses here while still doing business with them."

"So you're illegally legalizing this place?"

"No, we don't support drug cartels if that's what you're asking." The redhead rolls her eyes, "Sure, we get into people's privacy and we have technology, armed weaponry, everything, but this is our place and we are doing whatever the hell we can to keep this place the magical place it is. We're kind of like superheroes, except we dress hotter."

"So, what does this have to do with me?" Eve questions, standing up with the redhead, "Why did you bring me here? To show me all the new gun tricks you can do?"

"No. You're the next recruit."

Eve's green orbs widen and she feels a constricted feeling in her chest. "Ha, hell no."

"What?"

"I'm not doing that. Sorry to burst your reunion, big red. I'm guessing that's your code name? But I am not going play spies with you. Sorry, but I'm taking the first train ride back to sanity street!"

Eve shuffles around her friend, grabbing one of the available boxes and starts shoving stuff in. Maria can't help but snort at her friend's attempt to get out of this situation. "You can't leave easily."

"Do you see how easy it is for me to put my stuff back in this box?" Eve retorts, sending a scowl in her direction, "I'm not staying here with you. You have been contaminated by something and I am not staying here to get infected by it either. Adios."

"Paul saw you today, Eve. I'm pretty sure he has record of you right now. If he finds you, unarmed and vulnerable, he'll either kill you on the spot, torture you, or make you a lackey. That's a risk you shouldn't take."

"I'll just call Jack and explain that you've been admitted into the whack shack and go stay with him until I can get myself out of this hell hole."

"What is Jack going to do? Show them up with his big guns?" Maria mocks, flashing one of her biceps in an imitation of the brunette's ex. "Yeah, I think your chances of survival will have decreased at that point."

Eve continues packing but when Maria grabs her hand in motion to stop, Eve pushes her away and grabs a vase from behind her, "Don't touch me. I don't know you."

"Eve - "

"Get out. I honestly can't believe after the years of friendship you would do something like this. You almost got me killed and you keep pushing me to put my life in more danger. What happened to you?"

"It sounds crazy - "

"No, this is beyond crazy. I had high hopes coming here but this is the worst place I have ever considered coming to."

Maria motions closer, "Look, things are getting scary for you, I get that. How do you think I felt? I was all alone and I knew no one. I got kidnapped, for God's sake! I thought my life was over and it wasn't. I have developed and learned so much. I'm more than just a pretty face now. I have badass skill."

"Stop making jokes!"

"I'm being serious about that." Maria responds, quickly grabbing the vase from the brunette's hand and setting it down. "You need to listen to me."

"No I don't."

"Paul is coming back, okay? We killed some of his men and he's not leaving until he has a spot here permanently in Marin Sea with Vince's head on a stick. He also wants us dead and he will kill innocent civilians and raid every part of this town until he gets that. Do you understand? We can't be outnumbered."

"Well go hire assassins or something because you don't need me."

"We do need you!" Maria says, grabbing her shoulders, "I didn't just pick you because I had your number in my phone. I know your skills, your assets, and what you could contribute to this team. I had even more faith in you because I know firsthand what you're capable of. I have no doubt that you were made for this."

Eve sighs. The look in her friend's eyes is the same look she had when she told her she was leaving. It was a mixture of sadness and faith. The faith certainly gave her a familiar feeling inside of her, one that was lingering because it had her second guessing everything she had registered previously. Maria takes a step back, eying her friend with plead.

"I know this is sudden. I had a better way of explaining it until Paul and his ass bags decided to show up and ruin our shopping trip. I want you to know that I brought you here to do some soul searching and this is the perfect way to find out."

Eve glances at the box, looking at the contents inside before looking at Maria. The only thing she had to lose was her life, right? You can lose that anytime and any place if you're not careful. She had nothing to return to. No family, no friends, and no boyfriend. She couldn't believe she was actually considering this peculiar job offer.

"I'm guessing I'm going to need training and getting to know the team and learn how to not die, right?" Eve deadpans and Maria's eyes widen with enjoyment as she speaks.

"And a new wardrobe, but that's a whole other day of exploration." Maria smiles, hugging her friend lovingly, "I'll let you sleep on it tonight. Tomorrow we'll meet Vince and everything will be clearer and simpler for you. I promise."

Eve shakes her head, contemplating her sanity level at this point as her friend scurries to the front door, sending her a wave once more. "Hey, Maria."

"Yeah?"

"Why in the hell is there cameras in my living room?"

* * *

"So, Maria said she told Eve everything." John announces to the grouped team as he enters the headquarters, "She says she's letting her soak everything in and she's going to keep a lookout on Eve's apartment complex just to keep any look out for Paul and his men."

"So much for burying those ass wipes long ago," Ashley groans with an eye roll, "How many times are they going to keep coming back? I figured they had finally tucked their tails in between their legs and would stay gone."

"We all did, Ash." Christian speaks up, "But he's hellbent on getting what he wants and he wants is Vince and us dead and for Marin Sea to be his new business park of illegal activity."

"So, what do we do tonight? Patrol the area and make sure nothing suspicious happens?" Dolph wonders.

"We need to track and record every member of Paul's force. We know his very high in undercover work and we can't risk an accidental run in with anyone." John enforces, "We have a meeting with Vince tomorrow and I'm sure he's beyond thrilled to have one of his proteges back with a vengeance."

Zack sighs, "Man. Looks like I am missing another episode of Housewives of Beverly Hills."

"Do you ever grow up? The fact that you spend your Saturdays doing that makes me so sure as to why you don't have a girlfriend and the only action you get is from Dolph accidentally using your toothbrush." Ashley scolds.

Christian rolls his eyes and speaks up, "Tiff, you should get back home. You have an early shift at the grill tomorrow. If we need anything, we'll let you know."

Tiffany softly smiles, "Are you sure? I don't want to miss anything."

"I'm positive. Get some rest and we'll check in tomorrow."

The quiet blonde nods and sends waves to her other colleagues before taking off. Christian receives many obvious glances from his other teammates.

"So, when are you and Tiffany going to start shagging?" Cody smirks at his friend, nudging him slightly.

"What are you guys talking about? Tiffany and I are just friends."

"That is the biggest lie ever, dude." Mike smiles at him, "You have something for her. Why else would you send her home and not anyone else?"

"Because she has an early shift in the morning. We both work at the same place, I know how tough the early morning shift can be." Christian defends, "Why are you speaking, Mike? Every time Maria comes around your pants just get a little bit smaller."

Mike scowls at the older man, "So not true."

"So is." Kelly giggles, "I've never seen a man so hooked on a girl like you are on Maria. Don't worry, it's cute."

"How did we even get on the subject of me? We were talking about Christian and his crush on Tiffany! Let's return to that."

"Oh, Mike." Mickie pats his shoulder, "Don't be so shy. Anyway, shouldn't we get moving? The sooner we track them, the better off we are for them come morning."

"Yeah, let's go." John agrees.

"Wait." Christian stops them, all their eyes wandering to the blonde hair man. "I need to talk to you guys about something."

"Oh God. You're a drag queen, aren't you?" Zack gasps. "I swear I saw a guy that looked like you the other week."

"Where would you be to see drag queens?" Ashley inquires, "Another reason on the long ass list of why you'll forever be a loner."

"Guys! This is serious." He states, rubbing his nervous palms together, "Adam came and talked to me today. I think you guys should take a seat for this."

* * *

Adam hops out of his corvette, adjusting his leather jacket and ruffled hair before he nods at the security men at the front of the warehouse, grabbing one of the doors and pushing it open. He is surprised to find Brooks and Orton already there, drinks in their hands and sloppy grins on their faces as they have their attention on a man in front of them.

Paul.

His smile is so devilish as his wicked lips take another sip of his drink, his overly expensive suit rolled up to keep it from getting dirty from all the messy stuff he is involved in. A lump rises in Adam's throat. He knows where he wants his loyalty to remain and he knows he is at a very hefty risk if he slips. He collects himself and marches on, a look of arrogance plastered on his face.

"Looks like you started the party without me, fellas." Adam greets, taking the available seat between Phil and Randy, the one right in front of the big man himself.

"Nah, we're just warming up." Paul smirks, "Take a glass. Make yourself at home, except don't put your feet on this table."

"So, what's the proposition?" Phil cuts to the chase, his drink filled with water instead of alcohol, "You clearly came back for a mission and you would like a few extra hands, right?"

"Getting down to the nitty gritty." Paul takes another swig, "I like that."

"You want guys who want and can get the job done." Randy defends, "You seem like you could use some men who actually have the whole package."

"Shooting down my team again? I'm glad you underestimated me. Fortunately for you boys, I have reestablished my team. All new players."

Adam looks at him with furrowed brows, "What happened to the old ones?"

"Let's just say they took a vacation." Paul offers, walking around the large table to walk around the large, empty room of the warehouse, "Anyway, I know you boys have elite skill in the kind of work I'm involved with. Especially you Copeland, turning on your own brother the way that you did. That makes me ensure you a spot because I know you have no loose ends anymore."

"Exactly." Adam retorts, feeling his throat dry at the fact he was looking right in front of the man he was going to do the supposed same thing to. "He was always a weak link for me. That pity job McMahon gave us was just to save his old ass from the beating he deserves."

"Amen." Paul smiles widely, "And what better way to put Vince McMahon in his place than to take one of his own. One he spent time, money, and absolutely everything he could and let the man he practically raise put the bullet in his head."

Paul's laugh was sickening, but Adam just adjusts himself and lets the terrifying man carry on. "You three men have more specialty than just my simple drill kill kind of work."

"I hope that means pay is higher." Randy pipes up, "My skills can't be copied or duplicated."

"I like your cockiness, my friend." Paul points a finger with a grin, "Of course you're going to get your cut, but only if you do what I want."

"What is that?" Phil questions.

Paul motions for a guy to come forward. The guy is huge, roughly Adam's height with a little more weight on his bones. He is carrying tons of folders that are so thick they almost overflow. He sets them down on the table in front of him, suggesting him to take a scan at them.

"These are the files of Vince's team." Paul begins, "It took me a little while to conjure them up, but I needed every single piece of information I could find on them. Even the most useless information because I want to know everything about them before they meet their end."

Adam opens up one of the files. It shows a picture of a girl he couldn't recognize. She must be Maria's new recruit. She has long, light brown hair and her green eyes are the thing he couldn't help but stare at attentively. Her smile is so bright and infectious, and the picture makes her look so pristine. Her record is clean and she looks to be so innocent and undeserving of the the things Paul wants to conflict on her and the team. It actually makes his heart hurt.

"What do you want us to do? Study these and take pop quizzes on these shit stains?" Randy questions with enough attitude to make Adam want to hit him in the jaw.

"I do want you to study them because I want you to find out their weaknesses. I want to find out what can tear them apart from limb to limb." Paul says in a vicious tone, "They say the best way to kill someone immediately is to cut off their head, but I think that's too simple for a guy like me."

Phil looks at him with an eyebrow raised, "So, if you're not a simple man, than what are you proposing?"

"I was out today and happened to notice that they have a new member on their team. Looks like they've replaced you easily, buddy." Paul points out rudely to the blonde man, "She looks like she could cause the least amount of harm to us, but the most amount of harm to them. We need her. We start with her."

"It's not going to be that easy." Adam informs, "Since she is new to the team, she's going to have all eyes on her."

"True, but what if we eliminate the eyes?" Paul wonders aloud, "All we need is her and then we can begin our execution. From then on, Vince is mine and so is Marin Sea."

He sets his empty glass down and comes closer to the younger men, his eyes now darkening with grime. "Get a good nights rest boys because tomorrow we're throwing you into the shark tank without any support. I'm sure you can manage that. See you bright and early."

The trio remains in silence until Paul is out of sight. Adam can feel his palms sweating and the other two men adjacent to him have him wondering if they are thinking the same thing he is thinking. He doesn't know if he is completely alone with this situation.

"This man is sick as hell." Phil speaks up.

"You think?" Randy agrees, taking another sip of his drink. "I guess the safest way for us is to get as close to him as possible."

"He's not trustworthy at all. If he can just eliminate his old team, imagine what he could do if we step out of line at all." Adam states, causing worry in his other two mates.

"Well, then we better watch the lines carefully." Phil responds, taking a stand with a look of displeasure on his face. "I know you guys have no allies, but you can trust me. If I say I am going to do something, I am going to do it."

"Same here." Orton follows, "I know this still might be personal for you, Copeland, but at the end of the day, you can't protect anyone else if you're not protecting yourself."

"Well." Adam stands up, looking at the men in the eyes before walking in front of them. "I'm fully protected now that I'm in safer territory. It's time to make sure that it goes the same for everyone else."

He doesn't want to further elaborate because his trust is still pending with the two guys he's been aligned with since he left the force a while ago. He sends them a nod before he shuffles into the night and back into his car, a feeling of uncertainty sweeps over him as he takes a long drive home.

* * *

➳ stay tuned for an interesting turn of events! x n


	4. Anything Can Happen

an. hope you enjoy!

* * *

**soul searching**

_four - anything can happen_

Eve shifts in an unwieldy fashion when she exits from her redheaded friend's vehicle and stood before the large building that located the man who had brainwashed Maria and was eager to do the same to her. Not to mention she was clothed in some apparel that was anything but complacent.

"Stop squirming so much." Maria orders when she steals a glance at the brunette, "You look like you're a freshman at high school again, except you dress better and you don't have that horrible bob cut."

Eve grimaces, "Easy for you to say, you've been here before and you're use to wearing five inch heels with ass-riding skirts."

"Beauty is pain. Live with it." The redhead retorts as she scans a badge in front of the two burly men at the opening and letting them through.

The breath of Eve was held in when she waltzes into an array of colors and functions in front of her. It looked like a club, one of those sumptuous ones that usually was a concealer for more illegal things. She gulps at the thought.

"Trust me, you'll get more involved with this kind of lifestyle soon enough." Chuckles Maria who is now a foot ahead of her, "Come on. We have a meeting."

Maria grabs the brunette and leads her through the crowd of people. She wonders if they all are employed under Vince. They are all dancing wildly whilst taking expensive shots of champagne repetitively and it settles an uneasy feeling in Eve's stomach.

They stroll into a hallway with minimal lighting and tons of black doors following each other one by one as it ascends upward. Eve can feel her palms moisten up when Maria halts in front of a silver steeled door with a security lock on the front. Maria retrieves her badge again and lets it scan across the lock and a tone sets off granting their access.

Eve follows in behind the redhead, wiping her damp hand through her straight locks and browses the room to see the faces she met a few days before. They all look very solemn and don't even send her a glance of comfort as they all look ahead of them to eye a man drenched in black with a cigar in his hand.

Vince McMahon.

He gives her a glance, one that makes her feel like she's naked and exposed. She licks her dry lips slowly and watches as he chuckles and puts the cigar out. His feet rest up on the black, mahogany desk displaying his very expensive shoes that are glimmering in the dim light.

"You must be Eve Torres," He greets with a hoarse voice, "My lovely Maria has told me enough about you."

"...Thanks?"

Maria scowls at Eve before turning her head back to Vince, "She's very new to this, Vince. She may seem like she's not ready, but she is."

"How can you be so sure? I know the resume you sent me was exceptional, but actions speak louder than words."

"You will see action, sir." The redhead guarantees, "She's hot, she's smart, and she's a hell of a fighter. Adding her to the team will do you nothing but good."

"What do the others think of her?" Vince wonders as he stares at John to speak.

"She is impressive. She took all of this in with stride." He genuinely replies, "I'll have to admit that I thought Maria was not thinking clearly with this idea, but she's brave and that's exactly what we need."

"Precisely." Vince nods in approval, "What about you, Ashley? What do you think of her?"

Ashley just snorts, "She's just Maria's lackey right now. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. She may be ready, but she hasn't done enough to win me over. She's got guts, but that's all I've seen."

"I knew tension would brew with this new addition." Vince smirks, "I always love tension, because tension means competition. I think competition will better benefit us all, wouldn't you think so, Christian?"

"Absolutely." Christian beckons, "She's going to have to be strong and competitive to keep a stable place on this team."

Eve feels sweat trickle on her neck and hearing some of the others comments gives her an unsettling feeling in her veins. Some of the comments made it seem as if she was just the underling of Maria and as much as it looked like that, it definitely wasn't the case. She didn't really have plenty of say in the matter.

"What about you, Mickie?" Vince inquires, "What's your thought on the new recruit?"

"I think she has a lot of potential." Mickie looks at her with a hopeful smile, "She came in strong and I think she'll continue to come in strong."

"Well, I think it's suffice to say that you have a lot of belief in you, Miss Torres." Vince smiles at her and it sends chills through her spine, "Hopefully, you won't ruin that for yourself or others."

"I-I won't." She stutters.

"Splendid. I know that my trust has decreased over the past few months due to some unfortunate events, but I hope you can be the one to restore my faith in humanity and we can end this battle once and for all."

Eve just nods and he winks at her before he orders his team to disperse and he will see them in a coming of days. A breath of relief takes over the brunette as she hurriedly leaves the room and towards the exit of the building.

"Whoa, slow down." Maria calls, "Any quicker and you'll look like the flash."

"That was painful." Eve replies, "And what kind of resume did you give him?"

"Does it matter? You're in and that's all that matters."

Eve crosses her arms over her chest, "I'm in? What is this, a sorority? What kind of pledge do I have to do now?"

"Calm down." Maria orders, her eyes darkening, "You made it pass the hardest test, okay? You're apart of the team now, so stop getting all fidgety and worried because you have to be fearless."

"Sorry, I wasn't born with an on and off switch." The brunette bitterly replies, "The team barely even knows me. How is this going to work?"

"We make it work! That's the whole point. I understand what you're going through - "

"Then stop making me feel like shit. If you know how difficult this is for me, have a little sympathy for me. If you're my friend, like you _say you are_, have some sympathy for me."

Maria sighs and just nods, running her fingers through her wavy red hair. She may not have approached the situation with open arms, but time was a luxury they didn't have. They were running out of time just sitting here in a useless dispute.

"Fine, fine." Maria sighs, "Sorry. I just need you to understand something."

"And that is?"

"We don't have a lot of time, so my over-controlling ways are going to be heightened because at this point, we need to focus. I don't need you to whine, bitch, and moan every time something outrageous happens because as of now, anything can happen."

Eve scrunches her brows, "Anything?"

"Absolutely anything. I understand you're worried about storing trust in people you don't really know well, but tomorrow, we're sending you right off to headquarters for training."

"Training?"

"Well, did you think we had this magic dust that we sprinkle over you and you just blossom with all the abilities and skills to do this?" Maria scoffs.

"Considering that anything can happen, I wouldn't doubt any of it." Eve defends, "I am going home."

"Just get some rest and don't think about sleeping in." Maria reminds, "I have cameras, so I know what you'll be doing. Lights out by eleven."

"Shut up." Eve mutters before stepping in the driver's side of her friend's vehicle and taking off.

Maria observes the brunette leaving the scene before twirling around to meet the solace face of John Cena. "Hey, you staying for a drink? I could surely use one."

"You may need a few after what I'm about to tell you." John responds, causing Maria's eyes to scrunch in confusion.

"What's going on?"

"Christian had a run-in with Adam." John says, "And you're not going to believe what he said to him."

* * *

Polishing the bar was anything but enjoyable for the blonde. She wished she could've went with the rest of the team for the initiation meeting, but seeming normal just had to come first. The bar and grill was kind of empty at this time of the morning, except a few strays that thought getting drunk before noon was a wonderful way to kill time.

She had approximately four hours until her shift was over and then she could saunter to the headquarters and see what else had unraveled in the short amount of time of her absence. Anything could happen in the blink of an eye.

Three tall men stroll in, making her hazel eyes squint with perplexity. She had never seen them around before and she's only use to seeing the regulars come by with their breakfast grabs or drenching of alcohol to numb the morning heat.

"Welcome to Marin Sea Bar & Grill." She beams, "How can I help you?"

"Coffee for all three." The two-toned hair one replies, "Black."

"Coming right up."

The three were caught up in their own chatter when she returned with three warm mugs of coffee. They greeted her with smiles and the sandy haired one slipped her some bills and told her to keep the change.

"Do you know of any good clubs here?" The two-toned hair guy questions, "We're here for some vacationing and we want to know where's the best place to have a good time?"

"Uh, there's a club called Allure that is right off the main street. It's only about twenty minutes from here, it's usually very crowded on weeknights." She suggests and they nod with approval.

"Any chance you know who owns it?" The other one with a deep voice inquires.

"I think some guy named Tony, but I'm not sure." She admits, "I don't particularly go there myself."

"Then where does a little thing like you go?" The sandy haired one queries with a flirtatious smirk, "I was hoping you were available tonight."

"I'm not actually." She replies, grabbing the towel from her shoulder and wiping the bar again, "But there is a strip right off the beach where a lot of bars and clubs are opening. You could look there."

The two-toned hair one smiles at her, "Aw, come on. Don't you want to have a little fun?"

"You guys seem like a lot of fun." She shyly grins, "But I have other plans. Maybe another time?"

"That's too bad." The bigger one says, "You seem like the kind of girl to really show us a good time."

The sandy haired one agrees, "Yeah. Our boss Paul doesn't think we don't know how to let loose, but we have a feeling you do."

She turns around and widen her eyes when she hears the name. Her heart starts to pound and she feels herself right in the center of harm's way. She grabs her phone from the front pocket of her jeans and finds herself texting Christian abruptly.

_I think some of Paul's guys are here. Come quick._

_x Tiffany_

She turns back around to find only one of the guys still sitting there. It was the one with the deep voice and long, raven hair. His lips display a smirk and it instantly sends chills up and down her arms.

"I guess we were wrong about you." He says before she looks adjacent to her and sees the two other guys ready to lunge at her.

She ducks out of the way, sending the sandy haired man flying across the bar. The other one catches his balance and grabs some of the glasses hanging from the top of the bar area. He throws them her way which she dodges and finds herself grabbing one of the stools and slamming it into the guy's head, the stool dismantling instantly.

The guy sitting down hops over the bar with a knife in his hand. Screams echo throughout the bar and grill as innocent civilians scurry out of all the exits to find the nearest safety. The guy's knife comes in contact with her arm and she lets out a breathy scream as he grabs a hold of the other arm and slams her into the bar. She bites her lip and pulls one of her legs up through their tangled hold and kicks him in the gut, feeling the heel of her boot making contact with one of his ribs.

The sandy haired guy returns with a bottle of wine and is ready to slam it into her skull as she still lays on the bar. She swiftly rises and spins on the bar, grabbing the cash register and slamming his head into it. He falls to the ground and she feels waves of relief rush through her when she is the only one left standing.

When she spins back around to the service area of the bar, she meets the two-toned hair one with a devilish smile on his face with a line of blood dripping from his eyebrow and a scar appearing just below his eye.

"Haven't got rid of me yet, sweetie." He says with a gun in his hand.

She riskily stands on the bar, grasping one of the mugs filled with coffee and throws it at him. He loudly screams as he wipes his eyes harshly. She prepares to give him a final blow, but he comes out of nowhere and grabs one of her legs, her back landing on the bar with shards of glass on it. She screams achingly and his gun is inches from her chest. She looks at him with fury before grabbing a shard of glass and piercing it through his gut. He drops to the ground and she sincerely cries before rising up and meeting Christian's and Cody's faces.

"Oh my God." Christian breathlessly says before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her off the bar, "Are you okay?"

"Nothing I can't leave with." She admits, pointing to her cut arm and she can feel beads of blood trickle down her lower back from getting slammed into broken glass.

"The guys are gone." Cody says, rushing to Tiffany and pulling her into a soft embrace, "I guess they must have got away. We were so worried. We're so sorry we didn't get here in time."

"I think I got them pretty good." She halfheartedly smiles, "I think I may have blinded one."

Christian smiles but it's soon replaced with anguish, "I can't believe we didn't get here in time. It's all fucking Maria's fault for scolding us about Adam and -"

"It's okay, it's okay." Tiffany soothes, "I'm not dead. I know how to fight for myself. I took three big ass guys out. Where the hell is my champagne of celebration?"

Cody chuckles but Christian's expression doesn't change. He pulls her off the bar gently and wraps an arm around her waist, "We should get you to the infirmary, make sure you're not bleeding anywhere else. That's a nasty cut on your arm."

"Looks like you and Tiff won't be working here any longer." Cody admits looking at the demolished building around them, "I think you may have gotten your last paycheck."

"If I was here sooner -" Christian begins.

"Don't." Tiffany halts, giving him a glare. "I handled myself. Sure, I am a little beat up but need I remind you there were three guys? And they looked like they were all made out of mountains. Stop blaming yourself."

"She's right." Cody defends, "Tiffany is kick-ass. She won this battle. We didn't know that these guys were even here and Maria needed to know about Adam."

"How did she take it?" Tiffany wonders as they walk out of the bar and grill."

Cody shrugs, "Not well. She was pissed and she was throwing commands left and right. Eve got accepted and now we start training tomorrow."

"Sounds like fun. I can't wait-"

"You can't help." Christian states, "You need to take it slow. These injuries are serious, Tiff. I don't want you to ruin yourself."

"I'm fine." She mutters, a sharp pain hitting her backside as they take a step down from the entrance.

"You're clearly not. If we were here sooner, this wouldn't have happened." Christian mumbles before placing her delicately in the backseat of his range rover, "I'm going to scope out the place again and get your stuff. I'll be right back."

Tiffany sighs with displeasure because of the pain and the way Christian was treating her. He made her feel like a china doll and that she was cracked in a thousand pieces. Where was her pat on the back for being able to sustain herself through the attack of three large men? That deserves an Emmy in itself.

"Hey," Cody turns around from the passenger seat to give her a sympathetic smile, "Don't take Christian the wrong way. When he got that text he took no hesitation to get here. He's only worried about you this badly because he cares a lot."

"I know, but I survived." Tiffany reminds, "I didn't die. I got a little beat up, but that's usually what happens when you fight for your life."

Cody grins, "You're a fighter, Tiff. You always have an always will be. I'll be sure to get you that celebratory champagne when you get all bandaged up."

"Hell yeah. That is what I'm talking about." The blonde smirks with glee.

Adam takes a heavy sigh in when he sees Christian exit the bar and grill with a defeated look and tired eyes. He wished he could've prevented this. He knew that if he showed up in Tiffany's defense, everyone would be on Paul's hit list. He couldn't afford to lose a member of his old team because he still deeply cared for them. He ruffles his long, blonde hair before he hears his phone buzz in his back pocket.

"Copeland." He answers.

"Good to see you haven't went AWOL on me." Paul chuckles, "Some of my guys called me and said that a member of Vince's team just found them. They were able to get her but they had to escape before authorities came."

"I understand. What do you want from me?"

"I heard that the new girl got accepted." Paul says evilly, "So, I guess the numbers are even now."

"I guess so. Where does that leave me?"

Paul pops his lips together and smirks through the phone, "Come by my office. I don't want to talk to you about this unless we're face to face."

"Alright."

Adam scans from his distance as Christian, Cody, and Tiffany leave the scene just moments before police reached the place along with the owner of the bar and grill screaming in agony at the sight he was beholding.

He shakes his head and hopes that whatever Paul is thinking of it doesn't involve him putting a bullet in any of his former teammates. He places his key in the ignition and drives off as he makes his way to the devil's playhouse.

* * *

➳ sorry guys for the while wait. just to let you know that the next few chapters are going to be very action-filled and crazy so the updates may be a little spread out. also with me traveling in the coming weeks, it also can come sporadic. but i'm hoping to have the next chapter up and going soon so stay tuned and thanks for all the love and reviews. you're the bomb diggity fresh. x n


	5. Warnings

an. hope you enjoy!

* * *

**soul searching**

_five - warnings_

Tiffany slightly winces when she feels the last bandage become applied to her open wound. It felt like she had been in the infirmary for hours just to get all covered up in wraps and dressings to seal her scars. She kind of looked at them as badges of honor.

"I think you're good to go, Miss Terrell." The physician, William Regal, speaks, "Just be sure to soak your arm at least three times a day to prohibit infection."

"How long do you think I should be immobilized before I can get back out on missions?" She wonders with a hopeful spark in her eyes.

"I would be better off saying three to four weeks, just to keep your arm wound from healing nicely. There was so much nerve tissue damaged that it could be hazardous if you intend to rush your reviving."

The blonde sighs with rout feelings swirling in her body. She wasn't one to sit back and observe the action, she preferred being involved with it. Now that she was on the injured list, she had no other options but to peer from the sidelines.

"Knock, knock." Fellow blondes Kelly and Dolph appear with sympathetic smiles on their faces. Kelly pats her uninjured arm gently, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. It was nothing I couldn't handle." Tiffany remarks triumphantly despite her negative news, "I just have to take a break from active duty for a couple of weeks 'til my arm heals up."

"The weeks will fly by, Tiff. Don't over worry." Dolph advises, "You deserve a little break from the ambush."

"I just hope that I left enough impact on them." She admits, "I know that we're going to get outnumbered if we keep waiting to make moves."

"Well, the ball isn't necessarily in our court." Kelly divulges, "We're just waiting for Paul to make his move and he's doing pretty well keeping under the radar. We've been tracking all abandoned buildings and homes to see if he's using any for his temporary headquarters and we have nothing so far."

"Is Maria still pissed?"

Dolph promptly shakes his head, "She's still mad at Christian for not coming to her sooner. She doesn't trust Adam, but then again, who does?"

"I wouldn't blame Christian for trying to have a little faith in Adam. I mean that is his brother, right?" Kelly argues, "Plus, the last incident with Paul was so blurred and undirected that everything that happened just doesn't add up."

"You're right." The other blonde coos in agreement as she rises up from her seat, "Adam went undercover and almost got himself killed. When he came back, he was different. He started making excuses about things and we never really took a second to figure anything out before we were raided by Paul and his crew and we ended up having to kill some of his men."

Dolph agrees, "So, are you thinking that Adam may be innocent?"

"It's a possibility." Defends Tiffany, "I just think Vince is so scared of what Paul is capable of that he didn't really want to bother with restoring Adam even though he did practically raise him and Christian."

Before they could further their mysterious wonders, Kelly feels a vibration in her back pocket and a small smile lights up on her face before she sends them both looks, "Cody just texted me and told me got a glimpse of the tag on the guys' vehicle from the camera of the bar and grill. I'm going to the tech room to help him out."

Dolph and Tiffany look at her with eyes piqued of interest as she hurriedly slips past the sliding doors of the infirmary to the room floors below.

"Is something going on with her and Cody?" Tiffany wonders aloud with a smirk dancing on her pale lips.

"I think she's had a crush on Cody since forever." Dolph chuckles, "She's just been very discreet about it. They're both tech nerds and I guess she likes a guy with more brains than brawns."

"I could totally see it. Aside from Cody's action figure collection, they have a lot of cute things about them that would work."

Dolph nods before adding, "Kind of like you and Christian."

Tiffany's eyes widen and she swiftly shakes her head, "Um, no. Christian and I aren't a thing."

"Really?" He squints his eyes with disbelief, "Everyone would think otherwise."

"Well, everyone is ridiculous." She snorts as she grabs her cardigan and vigilantly places it on her limp arms. "We're just friends."

"Just friends don't have the kind of relationship you two do." He entails with a reasoning grin.

"What kind of relationship do we have?"

"A true one." He smiles at the thought, "The one where both of you hurt when one is injured, like today. The one where you always look out for each other without even thinking about it. It's like you know what the other is thinking and you both smile at each other when the same thought passes through both of your minds. You both fight for what you believe in and stay loyal to yourselves and the people you care about. You always instinctively call each other first before anyone else because you hold more trust in each other. That is the undying love you guys have."

Tiffany's cheeks redden when a laugh escapes her lips, "Haha, wow. When did you become such a hopeless romantic, Ziggler?"

"I did watch _The Fault In Our Stars_ recently." He jokes, "But I'm serious. That wasn't a line in any movie."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't take time to rehearse that for me because Christian and I are friends just like I'm friends with everyone else." She bites back with denial.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

* * *

Daylight wasn't a pleasant sight for Eve when she had to travel through it at seven in the morning. She has to grab a cup of coffee on the way there because her eyelids feel like bags of sand on her eyes and she could hardly stay cognizant.

She finds the headquarters and it is concealed as a modern day luxurious beach house with bountiful levels and grand glass windows that look like they get cleaned every hour of the day. How much money did Vince make a day?

She locks her car and places her sunglasses on the top of her head and meets the front door with fatigue continuing to embellish throughout her body. She takes another sip of her warm liquid and tries to open the door but it won't budge.

"You've got to be kidding me." She groans with displeasure, "They have locks on everything?"

She sights a doorbell and profusely rings it showing her vexation at maximum limit. This wasn't her ideal place to come to but here she was and was denied access to even enter.

"Hello?" A small voice says through the speaker above the door, "How may I help you?"

Was she at the right place? "Please tell me this is Vince McMahon's sanctuary?"

A giggle rings through the speaker, "Of course. I'm guessing you're Miss Eve Torres."

She moans, "The one and only."

Seconds later, the door opens giving Eve full eyesight of the glorious entryway of the entire house. Her green eyes could barely catch it all, but it definitely decreased some of her irritation when she thought about the salary she may receive in the nearby future.

"Where's Maria? I'm suppose to be training today." She admits as she watches the woman carefully grab her belongings and place them in a specific door just adjacent to them.

"She's actually off doing a few things, but I know exactly where you need to be." She instructs, "I'm the secretary, Alicia, and I'll help with whatever you need in the blink of an eye."

"Do you think you could help me get out of this?" She retorts and the brunette just shrieks with laughter before nodding her head to the elevators in front of them.

"Maria has told us all about you."

"Us? How many people work here?"

The brunette shrugs, "Well, obviously the team, but we also have a physician, Regal, a head director, Chris, the assistants, Brie and Nikki, and our psychiatrist, Trish."

Eve snorts, "Would you mind setting me up an appointment with her after this?"

She just crinkles her nose and smiles and it causes a shimmer of annoyance to run through the taller brunette's veins. Everyone was too optimistic under theses circumstances for her liking. The elevator doors soon open and display a large room that looks like a gymnasium. It has training equipment, large mats, and even a boxing ring. She was going to need that later too.

"Here you are." Alicia beams before letting the brunette go on her own into the area. She knew it was going to be extremely easy for her to get lost in this place.

"Eve."

The brunette spins around to meet familiar faces of John, Mike, and Ashley approaching her with only two of them displaying pleasant looks.

"Glad you're here. We have a lot to encounter today." John nods at her, "We'll all be here to help you and it's not easy, so don't feel discouraged if this becomes difficult for you."

"I'm way pass discouraged, if I'm being honest." She discloses and it causes the blonde beside John to snicker.

"Way past overrated too."

Eve wants to grimace at her but her lack of experience and knowing of the girl makes her question her chances of standing off against her. They felt pretty slim and she was too drained to really battle with anyone.

"So, what do we start with?" She questions, pulling her long brown hair into a ponytail.

"I think we should start with basics." Suggests Mike as he grabs a few weights and towels, "I think you need to be athletically fit to begin any of this."

"Do you not think I'm athletically fit?"

"No, I just -"

"Just thought that I'm lazy and have never ever exercised before?" She raises her brow, "That I'm too feminine to get down and hard like the guys?"

"That's not what I said." Mike rolls his eyes, "Stop being moody. We're here to help you. Stop being so sensitive, that's what gets you killed."

Eve sighs and retracts the thoughts from her mind that want to slap all three of them in their faces. They're not to blame for the situation she has undertaken, but her lack of sleep and patience has caught up with her and it's not a good first impression to make with these people.

"I'm sorry." She lowly says, "It's just a lot to take in you know?"

"I understand." John soothes, "It's a lot of stress on your plate, we've all been there. Being here for four years, I know what it's like, but it does get better."

She nods, "When does it got better."

"It got better for me last month."

Her expression shifts to disappointment and agony and the muscular man just smirks, displaying his dimples. "It was a joke."

"Thank God." She mutters.

"I think we should probably get this show on the road then."

"Awesome." Ashley sarcastically replies, "Try not to get tears or blood on the mat. We just replaced them."

Eve bites her lip in frustration, "I'll try."

* * *

Adam enters his apartment and it feels like it has been months since he's last been here. He has tried to stray away from this area because a lot of innocent people live in his apartment building and he doesn't want to cause commotion by allowing Paul or some of his goons to show up in one of the most pristine places of Marin Sea.

He throws his keys down on the coffee table that is scattered with hundreds of files. Many of the files are some of his work files from Vince as well as the extraction file he received after he was eliminated from the force. He never had the heart to open it.

He exhales deeply and waltzes to the fridge and hopes he can find a beverage that hasn't expired already. As he opens the door, he feels an arm come in contact with his arm to spin him around and meet a fist to collide with his jaw.

He hisses in pain and is ready to pull out the weapon from his back pocket but he's too late as he meets the face of a gun and a gloved finger just centimeters away from the trigger. He glances up to meet furious green eyes.

"Maria?"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She says through gritted teeth, "Trying to mess with my team's head and try to convince them that you're innocent?"

"Maria, I -"

"Shut up!" She screeches as she takes the end of the gun and swings it at Adam's jaw. "If I was heartless enough, I would kill you right now, but I think that's too easy."

"You're not going to let me explain?" The blonde bellows as he feels a trickle of blood seep from the corner of his mouth.

She shakes her head, "Explain what? That you've done a little soul searching and you're innocent? I don't think it works like that. You think you can just mess with my team?"

He depends on the fridge to lift himself up as the redhead is dangerously close to him with a loaded gun in her right hand, "In case you've forgotten, that was my team too!"

"In case you've forgotten, you sacrificed your team and your integrity when you lied and betrayed us!"

"I didn't betray you." He begins but the redhead strikes again, her heel connecting with his lower abdomen. That's going to leave a nasty bruise.

"You may have convinced Christian that it wasn't what it seems, but I'm not blinded like he is." She reminds, "He's your brother, of course he has a soft spot for you, but I don't. I know what you did."

"You only know what Vince told you." Argues Adam as he attempts to rise to meet Maria's standing frame, "That's only half of what happened."

"I don't need to know what happened because it's in the past. You're the past. You're a nobody. You have no right to contact Christian and mess with his head!"

"I wasn't messing with him. I was telling him the truth. He should've heard that long ago."

"Then why didn't he? Why didn't your team get to hear it?"

He feels defeated as his mind goes blank with an answer. It seemed much more complex at the time than it does now and with the redhead staring daggers into his skull, it seems hard to win this war of words.

"We don't need you, Adam." She bites harshly, "We're better off without you. So, you can go back to moping and playing poker with your hustler boyfriends and drinking cheap alcohol until your numb because that's all you're going to be good at."

The words sting and not just because they're cruel but because they're coming from someone he cares about. He remembers when Maria came in just a while back, fear in her eyes and hesitance in her walk. She was lost and confused and didn't know who she could trust. He took her under his wing and helped her learn the skills she knows now. He helped with her training and for a while she felt like the sister he never had. It just pains him to feel her eyes burning holes of contempt through him and all the love and respect she had for him had vanished.

"Don't ever come near my team again. Next time, I won't hesitate to put a bullet through you." She warns as she scowls once more at the now disheveled blonde and takes aim for the door.

She places her gun back in her holster and feels an unsatisfactory lump in her throat. She hated feeling like this. She wanted nothing more than to trust Adam, but with everything that Vince told her and making her vow to never let Adam return was something she didn't want to do but felt required to do. She still harbored her love and respect for Adam, but blinded by the words of her leader, she couldn't help but think equivalent to him.

She lowly sighs so Adam doesn't hear her as she twists the nob. Before she can even take a step forward, she sees a shadow and a gloved fist come into contact with her cheek.

* * *

➳ dun dun dunnnn! who doesn't love a good cliffhanger? they always make writing the next chapter so much fun, you have no idea. thanks for reading and i actually want to ask you a few things.

who are is your favorite / are your favorite characters? least favorite(s)? who do you want to see more of? do you find adam's extraction a little shady? and what do you think will happen to maria?

anyhow, thanks for the reads and the love and i already have the next chapter written, so i can honestly say that the next chapter may take you for a loop. again, thanks for reading! x nikki


End file.
